American Lung Association in Indiana holds flu panel discussion

In an effort to educate Indianapolis area residents about the importance of annual seasonal influenza vaccination, the American Lung Association in Indiana is kicking off the 2009-2010 influenza season by holding a flu panel discussion at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School on September 24 at 6:30 p.m. to educate the community about the dangers of influenza.

Public health experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommend seasonal influenza vaccination as the first line of defense this year in protecting against the influenza virus.

"Getting vaccinated against seasonal influenza is the first step in protecting yourself and your family from this potentially deadly disease," said Jessica Kelly, American Lung Association in Indiana. "Now is the time to get your flu shot!"

The recent H1N1 outbreak is a strong reminder that influenza is not the common cold. It's a serious respiratory illness. Each year approximately 226,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 die due to influenza-related complications.

The American Lung Association's Faces of Influenza campaign encourages local residents to see themselves and their loved ones among the many "faces" of influenza - people who fall into one or more target groups recommended for annual vaccination by the CDC.

Flu Panel to Discuss Importance of Vaccination

In support of the Faces of Influenza initiative, the American Lung Association in Indiana is encouraging the community to attend the flu panel discussion at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School. The panel will address the importance of annual vaccination across all high-risk groups and will offer a question and answer session to further provide insight on the disease.

Many community leaders are partnering with the American Lung Association in Indiana to reinforce that vaccination is the best protection available against the disease. Panelists include representatives from the following organizations:

• American Lung Association in Indiana
• CICOA
• Community Health Network
• Indiana Association of School Nurses
• Indiana Pediatrics
• Indiana State Department of Health

They also will be joined by Indianapolis "face" of influenza, Dr. Mark Williams, MD, a pulmonologist and lung health expert. Dr. Williams missed his annual flu shot last year, and as a result contracted influenza. Due to his experience with influenza, both professionally and personally, he now is more committed than ever to remind people about the importance of getting vaccinated.

"Anyone can get influenza and spread the virus to those close to them," said Dr. Williams. "And being sick is an awful feeling when you have patients that depend on you for care. I'll never make the mistake of not getting vaccinated again."

Immunization Rates Remain Low

Despite recommendations by health experts that more than four out of five Americans should be vaccinated against seasonal influenza annually, fewer than half actually do.

On average, an estimated 40,000 to 159,000 Indianapolis area residents will suffer from seasonal influenza, yet immunization rates fall short each year.

Chances Are, We All Know Many "Faces" of Influenza

Celebrities, health officials and everyday people have joined the Faces of Influenza campaign, sharing personal stories about their experiences with the disease and encouraging influenza vaccination among recommended groups.

The Lung Association is working with other families across the country who lost loved ones to influenza. These parents, as well as others involved in the program, have joined the Faces of Influenza campaign to help families avoid the tragedies they experienced.

On a national level, Olympic Gold Medalist figure skater, "Dancing with the Stars" winner and mother Kristi Yamaguchi is the spokesperson for the Faces of Influenza campaign. Other celebrity "faces" featured include: actor Dean Cain, who played Superman on ABC's Lois and Clark; Dr. Joyce Brothers, well-known psychologist and advice columnist; Joy Behar, comedian and co-host of ABC's The View; and Olympic Gold Medalist Vonetta Flowers.

Faces of Influenza Awareness Activities

Faces of Influenza aims to reach consumers and health care providers through various educational activities on the national and local levels. The initiative includes educational materials for consumers and health care providers that are available at www.facesofinfluenza.org, where visitors can also find more information about influenza and the importance of vaccination. Site visitors can also view the photographs and stories of "faces" featured in the initiative and utilize the Lung Association's Flu Clinic Locator, www.flucliniclocator.org, the largest online directory of public flu clinics.